Anti Trust The Government

The government under Roosevelt's (Teddy) administration busted up Standard Oil. John D. Rockefeller was informed of it's action while golfing on his private course. When asked what he was going to do he stated calmly, "buy standard oil". Somehow it never occurred to anyone else that calling it a different name in different regions of the country each under his control was no break up at all, but JDR got it.

Now after the the Bush administration ripped us off in plain sight and the getaway car is out of sight along comes Obama to double up the guard. The bankstas won't mind a bit they got theirs and got away. Keep this in mind as you read about Obama's efforts to step up  Anti-trust enforcement.

The Obama administration warned corporate America on Monday that the government will more aggressively investigate big firms that hurt smaller competitors, contending that lax enforcement by the Bush administration contributed to the current economic troubles.
Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said the Justice Department is abandoning legal guidelines established by George W. Bush's administration in September 2008. Critics complained that the earlier instructions made it difficult to pursue antitrust cases against big firms.

Varney laid out the new policy in a speech to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

She said some of the economy's problems were due to the lack of enforcement in the previous 10 years — a clear jab at the Bush administration, which, she said, raised too many hurdles to antitrust investigations.

A  clear jab at the Bush administration, and proof that more unregulated regulations will solve nothing.

"There was a high cost to standing aside. We must change course and take a new tack," said Varney.

This is just too convenient one wonders what Mrs. Varney could possibly haves against the prior administration. 

The new rules mark a return to the antitrust policies of the Clinton administration, which brought a major action against Microsoft Corp. These days, similar questions are being asked about the market dominance of Google.

The Clinton administration brought a major action that did minor damage too Microsoft Corp. Clinton was in major position to micro-size the soft ware peddler the way the Roosevelt pretend to bust up Standard Oil. Did he, did Mr. Softy suddenly play hard ball?  Well I am still in search of a software maker with more than 10% market share whose product I can get pre-installed sans Windows. Despite it all the self serving hype Microsoft remains the soft ware industry's major-opoly.  

The Justice Department is reviewing a proposed legal settlement with authors and publishers that would expand Google's digital library of books, after some librarians and consumer activists complained that the proposed settlement will give Google a digital monopoly on millions of books.

Associated Press writer Delvin Barrett mentions Google, for her part Varney remained as vague as she could. 

Asked about Google, Varney insisted her remarks weren't aimed at any particular company or industry, but wanted all companies to get the message.

"Look, when you become successful and you have market power, however you define it, you need to pay attention to the rules," she said.

She said nothing! You get the idea she intends to do the same.

Bruce McDonald, a lawyer and former antitrust official in the Bush Justice Department, said Varney's comments didn't give any clear indication whether the government will challenge Google's conduct.

"We now know what direction Ms. Varney wants to take the antitrust enforcement, but exactly how far she will go will only be known when it's played out in particular cases," he said.

And that's the game plan, rattle a lot of cages, bang a lot of windows, but never go in.

Ed Black, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, said Varney's remarks showed firms should "do some self-correcting before they get corrected" by the government.

Or political correcting of the government ala the afore mentioned Mr Softy's Microsoft.

"It's clear we have a new sheriff in town and I think there is so much that has been left ignored and not dealt with," said Black.

Antitrust regulations and blame gaming will do nothing for us. So far all that's clear is that the new sheriff is just like the new administration she is part of, which is just like the old. Both apparently already have been dealt with in the old traditional manner.

The Justice Department is following up on a campaign pledge by President Barack Obama, who said the Bush administration had "what may be the weakest record of antitrust enforcement of any administration in the last half-century."

A wonderful one two that even I don't think could have been planed. Bush shamelessly threw open wide the door of corruption and held it for eight years. Then comes the new sheriff to restore order and slam the door back shut on an empty barn.

Anti-Trust is not the problem in a post bubble economy spining out of control, deficit spending is the monster and Obama is feeding it. Anti-Trust is not the solution to our problem, it's a solution for Obama and the bankers. It's a tempest in a tea cup taking attention from what Obama should be doing my while giving a show of doing something. Anti-Trust adds to the problem by clouding the(real) spending issue, and exhausting resources better spent busting fat cats and their governmental co-conspirators. 

Any administration serious about doin- in the banksters restoring law and order and reviving an economy that just had it's throat slit would stop funding the bail-out and bonus larceny yesterday, return as much ripped off wealth as possible to the public, and slam some CEO fanny in the slammer. 

And as the recession deepens into a depression the people desperately need the change Obama and by extension Varney pretend to be. What we get instead is a sham, a show of of change, propaganda and untiring devotion to the bail-out, the bankers and their bonuses.